** update September 2021 - since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August, calls to Combat Stress from veterans have more than doubled. Supporting Combat Stress through this challenge has taken on increased significance - thank you so much for you help and support - Ben **

I will run a 4x4x48 Challenge between 8-10 October 2021 in support of Combat Stress.

The 4x4x48 is an endurance race created by retired US Navy Seal and ultramarathon runner, David Goggins. The challenge is to run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours. In total, I will run 48 miles. I have chosen to do a 4x4x48 because, while it is physically hard to do, it is probably more of a mental challenge.

Getting up and running 4 miles in the middle of the night when you’re tired, and then doing it again, and again, and again, every 4 hours, for 48 hours, is emblematic of the daily challenges faced by those who sometimes struggle with mental health. For veterans who have experienced conflict, mental health issues can be amplified and complex. Hence, I am choosing to support the charity Combat Stress through this endeavour.

October 2021 marks 10 years since I completed my first combat tour of Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 14 in 2011. I was the Reconnaissance Platoon Commander for The Highlanders, 4^th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland based around the Lashkah Gah area of Helmand Province. My Platoon, and the company to which we were attached, A Company,  saw some of the fiercest fighting in our Battlegroup during our 6.5 months in theatre. The Highlanders lost two soldiers on the tour, and a number of others were seriously injured. In the 10 years since we returned, many of us have struggled with mental health, and several of our brothers in arms have subsequently taken their own lives.

So, 10 years on, and as NATO-led operations in Afghanistan end after 20 years, it seemed apt to do something to raise awareness of the ongoing mental health support veterans will need and fundraise for Combat Stress.

Combat Stress are the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health. For over a century, they’ve helped former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).They’re on a mission to raise awareness that invisible injuries can be just as hard to cope with as physical ones. So when a veteran is having a tough time, they’re there to help them tackle the past and take on the future.

Thank you for reading my story and for considering donating to this cause.

Ben